A single Oklahoma City father named Billy had been walking to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County's Woodson Park location to pick up his two young children and then walking them home again. That changed when Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein showed up and surprised the family with a new vehicle.
The vehicle was donated to Billy's family through the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County, with Hartenstein personally delivering it, according to The Journal Record. The outlet reports that the Thunder center wanted to make transportation easier and safer for the family, which includes two young children. The presentation took place at the club's Woodson Park site in Oklahoma City, the same location where Billy had been making those walks.
A Club Built Around Safety and Programs
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County describes its mission as providing a safe place for children to play and take part in programs, per the same Journal Record report. Hartenstein has supported the organization through visits, donations and other efforts, the outlet notes, and the car giveaway adds a tangible example of that ongoing relationship between the Thunder big man and the local club network.
This is far from the first time Hartenstein's name has popped up alongside Oklahoma City nonprofits. He has been involved with the community since joining the Thunder in 2024, according to Yahoo Sports, and he has built long-term relationships with local organizations and children through the Hartenstein Foundation, as News 9 has reported.
A Pattern of Giving Across the Metro
Last October, the NBA and NBPA named Hartenstein the 2025 offseason winner of the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award, according to NBA.com. That recognition cited his foundation's collaboration with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County and Positive Tomorrows on a student shopping spree and a community basketball court. He has also been a regular visitor, volunteer and partner of Positive Tomorrows since arriving in Oklahoma City, per a Journal Record report from March.
The giving has taken many forms. In December, Hartenstein gave 100 bicycles and helmets to children with the Boys & Girls Clubs, with the giveaway reaching kids at Council Grove and Kaiser elementaries, according to KSWO. He and his foundation also presented Positive Tomorrows with a $22,101.54 donation after a visit there, Yahoo Sports reported, and in June 2025 he gave the nonprofit $10,000 raised through a collaboration with an Oklahoma shirt company. The Hartensteins have extended their giving beyond youth programs too, surprising ReMerge with a $10,000 check, according to KOCO.
More Than 300 Families Reached This Summer
Earlier this year, Hartenstein and his foundation hosted a back-to-school celebration for more than 300 students and their families, according to the Journal Record. Hartenstein has said his goal with the foundation is to create lasting impact and make real connections with people, the outlet reported in March — a mission reflected in the pairing of a Thunder star's name with a single father's daily walk to pick up his kids.
